Multiple bellows expansion joint with limit means



Feb. 17, 1959 RC. ANDERSEN ET AL MULTIPLE BELLOWS EXPANSIONJOINT-WITH LIMIT MEANS Filed June 18, 1954 HHHH 1 2,873,984 E P t nted Feb. 17, v195a United States atent put-the various figures, a compensator 10 embodying the principles of "this invention i s especially adaptedfor ,use

2,373,984- in'conneeting a pair of-conduitsfl and the manner shown in Fig. 2 -Aswill be understood, e uid pressure MULTIPLE-JQINTWITH 5 within the conduits acts in opposite directions against the oppositely facing walls of the conduits inthe areas in- Raymond C. Anderson; Lombard, and EdwinWRParlasca, dicated by numerals g16and- 18 so that thereis a tendency El'gln, 'Ill.,=-assignors toFlexouics.Corporation, Mayto-expand or axially stretchthe compensator. As will a corpol'aflonkofillllflols appear from the description hereinbelow,-the compensator Application June 18, 19 5 4, Sui a! No.437839 1O -1s constructed so thatthistendency may bepartlally or completely overcome.

4 Claims. (Cl. 285-228) As shown best in Fig. 1, the compensator includes a pair of axially aligned corrugated sheet metal tubes-20 and 22. T he'corrugated tube 2 0 is provided at its outer The present invention relates to a novelexpansion-joint l5 ecnd witha-cy1in n -p fl 24tWhi9l1 fi a or compensator'fora fluidconduit'system and -while it 1 "P P zfian s' en d h P p $565011 w'ill*be apparent {that the-novel-compensator-of'this in- "by ilontinuo s flul'arweld :28- *"I'hc-Pipc Section vention may be utilized in various installations, it-is esi adapted t be nn rto he on i j 12 y'me n -pecia11y adaptedfor use in=heatedair-orassociated conduit 'of-weldiflg asindicated a 23 'T Outer end systems of airplanes and zhe like. 0 --of--the corrugated tube 224s. similarly-providedwith a "Various expansion cornpensators have heretofore been cylindrical flange 30 Whichjsliomlected 's P P suggested but such compensators have not been entirely 'Section 3 603511110119 annularweld 4- j P p 'satisfactorysince they are often unduly complicated and Section 3213' p l0 i y expensive to-manufacture and since'they are often unvEma-1111111'Weld 3681mm! illFlg- *desirably heavyand bulky especia'lly foruse in aircraft. I order connect the tubes 2 an together, a "It is, therefore, an object of the present invention 'to tubular is disposedwithifl t w provide'a novel expansion joint or compensator for fluid gated when and is connected'lo the P p SGCtiOIIfZl'I b conduitsystems, which compensator is of relatively simple, means of an annular Weld Outer 'l Sleeve compact, economical and light-weightconstruction while i thus, also operatively cqflneciedlwith the Outer fi beinge'flicient in-operatlon-andhavinga longms'eful life. flexible corrugated u e p P iQ" More specifically,-it-.is an objectof the present inven- The PP fl ofithezslefivezo'isSlightly -.-tion:to iprovide-anovelexpansion joint or compensator "flared radially as n a fi l Y of the. above'described'type havinga plurality of ifiexible Within a ,Y fl P i at the ilmer 1 rcorrugated:metal-tubes,'.which joint is: constructed sowas corrugated fi innrends of'thefi'sleeve H toaprotect the metal tubesagaiust impingement: by the 351538 'andtubeaz are coflnectedtogetherrby m n ffi edirect'r-fiow of-material:therethrough regardless of the, ex-

annulanweldfi- Second Sleeve 48 extqndsthroughithe panded opflexed condition f compensator, wherebyrto corrugated tube 22' and also telescopes within the sleeve ;'-Prevent-injury:to the: corrugated-tubes andtoeliminate Should be noted maths-diameter oflthefileeve 5 -yibratoryrimpulses' in the 'flowing material orfluidthat less than'the'diametel' of thesleeve 50 as to P m be reat d if {he fl id ld.,i i i t th @the'sleeves tobe laterally defleetedrelative to each other. .cormgatedtubes :This, of course, also permits-the outer endsof the corru- Another object the..pmsentjinyention isltoipmvidew a gated tubes and the .pipesections connected thereto tobe 1 expansiontjointjor compensatornlpflthe abovwdfi -.lateral1y deflected relative to-ea ch other. "The amount scribed typevwhich qonstmctedv so as to hayenvalklinimum .of such lateral-deflection may be cont-rolledor limitedto oyeralllength fm-Ha.given;vamcmmpofv axialagxpansidh and 4: a predeterminedamouut by predetermining the relation cpmraqtiomthatflmayhbe accommodateddthemby 0 between the inner..-and outer diameters of the corrugated still another object ,ofthis inygnfi gn i pmvidema .sleeves'38 and 48, respectively, and by predetermining the I novel gxpansion joint or comppnsator vposshssing the length or. amount of telescoping of the sleeves -38 and 48. characteristics mentioned in thprccsdmgyparagraphs and Thus, by decreasing-the diameter of the sleeve 48 and/or also constructed to. accommodate, in a controlled-manner, 5 by shortenipg telescoping.relafionship between the irelative'laterabdisplacement between the Pipes or COH- w Increasemvthe'imsslblemmounti of-latqal' vvfiduits connected bylthe compensaton 1 ,flection betweenthe:.sleeves isobtained. The outen end 3A in 11h er object ofjthe Presentinventionisto Provide a ot the sleeve-"48isiiaredoutwardly as at for connection :nov'el expansion *jointor-compensator of the above de- "with plpe"se9non .nbymeansoflan annular Weld ;scribed'type.zwhich;.-is constructed so thatfluid'may flow 525 and the uliposlte qr'mnerend'portion Of'the She-W 481s 'zztherethrou'gh 1easi1y=andswithout undue turbulence. connectedwlth Inner end'of corrugated tube'zo i1?t1l)1er objects andtafdvantalgesf, olithe. Presentinvention gli lgggg ggg i g g t moms a arent. m p f resen rnven ion, a- 0 ton .wthenaccompanglijng w gg g g gg ff. the sleev; 38, adjagentcto butfspaced from it i nher j erimna e11 lS;- rovi ed. at l. 5535 232 321 2 85?gi iggggig tending circumf rentially gia ce dil i z. l l l i r l o faatums 6f t es n conn ct the innerend of the sleeve-48 to the-inner end of Big. 2, ,is1asomewhatdiagrammatic view sh i the the. corrugated tube $20,- the sleeve-:48- is provided with *2; con mtvsyistem; 1 l n ma -inneren ange sf-fig; 3B afiagmentary perspective yiewshowing a pop of the tube :20 as indicated ate-60. Each of'the protion of a novel'structure of this invention in. greater detail; mbflance" meansisfi is in'lthe' form'of strap which has and y heen-provided byslitting the-sleeve 48 along axially ex- Figr- 4isa-cross sectionalyiew takenalong -line 4'-4.:in tending: Parallel lines adjacent but Spaed IQ the -inner terminal eud of the sleeve. After the slits have Referring now more specifically to the drawings wherein fi c Straps a Of I c e "defo me ra a like parts are designatedby*the--same numerals throughoutwardly as shown best in'Figs; 1 and 3 so that they ektend through the slots 54 for connection with the C9 Il'11- gated tube 20. With this construction, it should be noted that the fluid conduit through the compensator is provided entirely by the sleeves 38 and 48, which sleeves have smooth surfaces so as to promote smooth flow of fluid therethrough. Since the compensator is normally installed so that fluid flows from right to left as viewed in Fig. 1, the inner terminal end or edge of the sleeve 48 will not impede the flow of fluid. The formation of the straps or-protuberances 56 in the sleeve 43 does, of course, provide breaks in the wall of the sleeve, but these breaks are relatively small so that any turbulence created thereby is of no substantial consequence. It should also be noted that the sleeves 38 and 48 completely protect the corrugated tubes against impingement by the direct flow of fluid passing through the compensator. Upon reference to Fig. 1, it will b'eseen that regardless of the expanded or contracted condition of the compensator, the sleeve 48 closes substantial portions of the slots 54 against the direct flow of fluid and the straps 56 provide battles for directing fluid passing through the slots along tortuous paths, whereby direct high velocity jimpingement of the fluid and any particles carried thereby against the corrugated tubes isprevented.

In order to counteract the tendency of the pressure in the fluid system to expand the compensator, means including a corrugatedtube 62 is provided. As shown best in Fig. l, the corrugated tube is disposed so that it is concentric with the tubes 20 and 22 and surrounds and overlaps the inner end portions of the tubes.20 and 22. The opposite ends of the tube 62 are respectively closed by sheet metal closure members 64 and 66. 'The closure member 64 includes an inner cylindrical portion 68 which is connected to the cylindrical flange 58 of the corrugated tube 20 and to the protuberance means or straps 56 by the above mentioned weld 60. An annular radially extending wall portion 70 of the closure member 64 is integral with the inner cylindrical flange 68 and also joins an outer axially extending cylindrical portion 72. The cylindrical portion 72 is flared outwardly as at 74 for connection with a cylindrical end flange 76 of the corrugated tube 62 by means of a con tinuous annular weld 78. As shown in Fig. 1, the cross sectional configuration of the closure member 66 is identical to that of the closure member 64 as indicated by the application of identical reference numerals to corresponding elements. The inner end of the closure member 66 isconnected to the cylindrical flange 44 of the corrugated tube v22 and to the inner end of the sleet/e38 by means of the above described weld 46. The outer end of the closure member 66 is connected by means of a continuous annular weld 80 to a cylindrical end flange 82 of the corrugated tube 62. With this structure, it is seen that fluid under pressure enters into the chamber provided by the corrugated tube 62 and the end closure members. This pressure acting against the wall 70 of the closure member 64 tends to pull the sleeve 48 toward the left and, thus, collapses the corrugated tube 22 while the pressure acting against the radial wall of the closure member 66 tends to pull the sleeve 38 to' ward the right and collapses the corrugated tube 20. As will be understood, the diameters of the corrugated tube 62 and its associated end closure members may be formed so that any tendency of the fluid pressure in the system to expand the joint or compensator is either partially or completely overcome, and moreover, these diameters may even be formed so that the net eflect of the fluid pressure acting on all parts of the compensator is to cause collapsing or contraction of the compensator. It should be particularly noted that the corrugated tube 62 overlaps the corrugated tubes 20 and 22 and that the particular cross sectional shape of the end closures 64 and 66 enables the inner ends of the tubes 20 and 22 to be positioned close together. Thus, the overall length of the compensator is maintained substantially at a minimum; or in other words, the overall length of the compensator is substantially equal only to the necessary combined lengths of the tubes 20 and 22 without regard to the length of the tube 62.

From the aforementioned description, it is seen that the present invention has provided a novel expansion joint or compensator fully satisfying the objects heretofore set forth. More specifically, it is seen that the present invention has provided a compensator which is of sim ple, compact and light weight construction. In addition, it is seen that as a result of the novel manner in which the inner ends of the sleeves 38 .and 48 are'connected with the corrugated tubes 20 and 22 and with the end closure members 64 and 66, the sleeves completely protect the corrugated tubes against the direct flow of the fluid through the compensator and also provide a substantially smooth wall passageway for the fluid passing through thecompensator. 1

While the preferred embodimentof the present invert tion has been shown'and described herein, it is obvious that many structural details may be changed without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

The invention is claimed as follows: i

1. A compensator of the type described comprising first and second corrugated substantially axially aligned tubes disposed with inner ends adjacent each other, a sleeve having a predetermined internal diameter extending through said first tube and interconnected with an outer end portion of said first tube and an inner end portion of said second tube, a second sleeve having an external diameter less than said internal diameter of the first sleeve and extending through said second tube and telescoping into said first sleeve and interconnected with an outer end portion of said second tube, an inner end portion of said first sleeve having a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings therein, an innermost terminal end section of said first sleeve inner end portion being substantially circumferentially continuous and uninterrupted, integral protuberance means deformed from and extending radially outwardly from an inner end portion of said second sleeve through said openings and connected to an inner end portion of said first tube, said second sleeve having a substantially continuous uninterrupted inner terminal end section a third corrugated tube of larger diameter than and substantially concentric with said first and second tubes and having its interior communicating with the interior of said sleeves, a first end closure connected with one end of said thirdvtube and also interconnected with said protuberance means, and a second end closure connected with the opposite end of said third tube and also connected with the inner end portion of said first sleeve. I

2. A compensator, as defined in claim 1, wherein said third tube surrounds inner ends of said first and second tubes and has its opposite ends respectively spaced axially outwardly of the inner ends of said first and second tubes, and said end closures respectively extending from the ends of said third tube axially inwardly to inner end portions of said first and second tubes.

3. A compensator, as defined in claim 1, wherein said protuberance means are in the form of elongated integral radially outwardly deformed strap sections of said second sleeve, which sections are of less axial extent than said openings.

4. A compensator, as defined in claim 1, wherein all of the connections between said sleeves and said first and second corrugated tubes, between said protuberance .means and said first tube, between said thirdtube and said end closures, between said first end closure and said protuberance means and between said second end closure and said first sleeve are provided by welds.

(References on following page) References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Fentress et a1. July 9, 1940 Dreyer Aug. 16, 1949 5 McCreery July 5, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS France Feb. 16, 1932 Sweden Nov. 12, 1940 Switzerland Oct. 1, 1941 Switzerland Oct. 1, 1949 

